Cybersecurity Conference (2014) Speaker Profiles

Nada Marie Anid, Ph.D.
Professor and Dean
School of Engineering and Computing Sciences

Dr. Anid earned her Ph.D. in environmental engineering from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor), and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH-Stockholm). She is among the first engineers to study the role of vitamin B12 and other organometallic coenzymes in the dechlorination of important toxic molecules such as carbon tetrachloride and polychlorinated biphenyls. Prior to joining NYIT, she was chair and graduate program director of the Chemical Engineering Department at Manhattan College.

She has been named one of the top 50 most influential women in business in recognition of her business acumen, mentoring, and community involvement by Long Island Business News and as a third-time honoree, was recently inducted into the LIBN Hall of Fame. Dr. Anid also received the 2010 Long Island Software and Technology Network (LISTnet) Diamond Award in recognition of her significant contributions toward the advancement of women in technology on Long Island as well as for her professional achievements in the technology field.

Nada Marie Anid, Ph.D., is the first female dean of NYIT's School of Engineering and Computing Sciences (SoECS). In this role, she oversees 77 engineering and computing sciences faculty members and approximately 1,700 graduate and undergraduate students at campuses located in Manhattan and Old Westbury, N.Y., the Middle East, and China.

Edward Guiliano, Ph.D.
President
New York Institute of Technology

Edward Guiliano has led New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) to worldwide prestige, particularly in the fields of architecture, medicine, communications, engineering, business, and educational technology.

An eloquent spokesman and advocate for the environment and sustainability, global higher education, and educational technology, Dr. Guiliano is a frequent keynote speaker at conferences around the globe. Since he became the university’s president in 2000, NYIT has significantly increased the size and quality of its diverse student body of 13,000 students from nearly 50 U.S. states and 100 nations this year; added more than 400 distinguished faculty members; and opened campuses and sites in North America, the Middle East, Asia, and online to complement NYIT’s hub campuses in Manhattan and Long Island, New York.

During this time, NYIT has undergone a major renovation of campus facilities while branding itself to raise its national and international profile. The administration also created a 2030 strategic plan to position NYIT as a model for a 21st-century global university. NYIT has been consistently ranked as one of America’s best colleges by leading publications.

In March 2012, in recognition of Dr. Guiliano’s commitment, scholarship, philanthropy, and transformational long-standing leadership, NYIT named its flagship Manhattan campus building on Broadway the Edward Guiliano Global Center.

Dr. Guiliano holds a bachelor’s degree from Brown University and a doctorate from Stony Brook University. He has been awarded two honorary degrees and received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor for his personal accomplishments, social compassion, and outstanding contributions to American society. He is married to best-selling author Mireille Guiliano.

Sandra Kopecky (B.S. ’88, M.S. ’12)
Adjunt Professor, NYIT
Operations Data Analyst, NPD Group

Sandra Kopecky is a full-time operations data analyst at NPD Group, a provider of global information and advisory services to drive better business decisions.

She also serves as a part-time Oracle database administrator with Cache Cloud and as an adjunct professor teaching database management to undergraduates at NYIT.

Rob Marano
Adjunct Professor, NYIT
Co-Founder, The Hackerati

Rob Marano has more than 20 years of technology, sales, marketing and general management experience in the software and telecommunications fields and has held management positions at both start-ups and large international companies. Recognizing the clear developer shortage in and importance and subsequent confluence of cloud-based Big Data/Analytics, social computing, and mobile-centric user experience, Marano founded The Hackerati with a veteran SW and Internet engineer. Most recently he served as president, CEO, and CTO for InDorse Technologies, which he established in 2006. Prior to founding InDorse, he established Falkin Systems LLC, a next-generation strong authentication solutions vendor out of The Cooper Union.

Marano has served as the director of emerging software technologies at PricewaterhouseCoopers' (PwC) Global Technology Centres (London, Frankfurt, and Menlo Park). During his tenure at PwC, Marano provided technical and operational improvement tactics with strategic product advice to software clients such as Computer Associates, Brother International, Verizon, BellSouth, and Sygate (now part of Symantec) in the infrastructure and information security industries. He helped establish the U.S. division of RiverSoft as well as the technology development center for Micromuse. Additional experience includes lead software engineer at Lockheed Martin's Advanced Technology Labs, as well as a satellite electronics engineer at GE AstroSpace.

Rahmat Shoureshi, Ph.D.
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
NYIT

Rahmat Shoureshi, Ph.D., became NYIT’s provost and vice president for academic affairs in August 2011. He is responsible for shaping academic priorities and programs, attracting and supporting outstanding faculty, and expanding research initiatives, especially multidisciplinary efforts. He oversees faculty and curriculum development, planning and budgeting, and initiatives for teaching and learning with technology.

Prior to joining NYIT, he served as dean of the School of Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Denver. Dr. Shoureshi has also authored more than 250 technical publications and holds several patents. He is an expert in automation, artificial intelligence, robotics, bioengineering, energy/power engineering, structural engineering, and automotive noise, vibration, and harshness.

He earned his Ph.D. and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering at MIT.

Paul Stirpe, Ph.D.
Founder and CEO, Letse, LLC.
Adjunct Professor, NYIT

In the past 25 years, Paul Stirpe has been a researcher at IBM and T.J. Watson Research Centre and a professor of computer science at NYIT, and he has held various IT and security advisement positions in the financial services industry for Reuters, Credit Suisse, Wolters Kluwer, and Bunge Corporation. He has authored numerous patents and research papers.

Stirpe is the founder of Letse, LLC, (Letse.com), a global software and services corporation with offices in New York and Kolkata, India, and more than 15 years of business in financial services. Letse is a technology partner for premier Wall Street and European banks with international presences and is a thought leader in cloud computing for the financial services industry. Stirpe leads the security consultancy Stratta Group (strattagroup.com) focused on providing expert security technology advisement and solutions, and is the chief technology officer of GlobeArc Corporation (globearc.com), a leading provider of business solutions for investors in hedge funds. Stirpe received his Ph.D. in computer science from Boston University in 1992.

Jonathan Voris, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Computer Science
NYIT

Jonathan Voris recently joined the computer science department at New York Institute of Technology. He obtained his Ph.D. from Polytechnic Institute of New York University in 2012. He previously served as an adjunct assistant professor and postdoctoral research scientist at Columbia University, where he was a member of the Intrusion Detection Systems Lab. Voris is interested in improving security and privacy, particularly that of wireless, ubiquitous, and embedded systems. His recent work has been focused on developing techniques to combat insider threats.

Robert Bigman
CEO 2BSecure LLC
Former Chief Information Security Officer, Central Intelligence Agency

Robert Bigman recently retired from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) after a distinguished 30-year career. Recognized as a pioneer in the field of classified information protection, he developed technical measures and procedures to manage the nation’s most sensitive secrets. He then developed creative solutions to allow the CIA to use the Internet to further its mission without exposure.

Bigman has worked in every area of information and data security, and served as the Agency's Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for 15 years. As CISO, he managed a large organization of technical and program officers responsible for the protection of all agency information. His responsibilities included cryptography, information security policy/processes, standards and requirements, testing and network defense/response. In recognition of his expertise and contributions, he has received numerous CIA and Director of National Intelligence awards.

Bigman is now an independent cybersecurity consultant and president of 2BSecure LLC in Bethesda, Md. He works with governments and Fortune 50 corporations to help them build productive information security programs and resist sophisticated nation-state and cyber-criminal penetration efforts.

Honorable Gale A. Brewer
Manhattan Borough President
New York City

Gale A. Brewer is the 27th Manhattan Borough President. Ms. Brewer previously served on the City Council for 12 years. As councilmember, she successfully passed legislation guaranteeing paid sick leave for most hourly employees, compelling landlords to fix repeat violations, requiring all city data be published online, and the nation’s first law protecting domestic workers. She was the founding chair of the Council’s Technology Committee in 2002.

Immediately prior to her election to the City Council, Brewer served as project manager for the NYC Nonprofits Project at CUNY’s Graduate Center, and before that worked for the Telesis Corporation, a private firm that builds affordable housing in New York City.

Prior to that non-profit and private-sector experience, Brewer served in city government in various roles, including as New York City Deputy Public Advocate, Director of Mayor Dinkins' Federal Office in New York City, Executive Director of the Mayor's Commission on the Status of Women, and Chief of Staff to West Side Council Member Ruth W. Messinger.

Brewer has an M.P.A. from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, and she did her undergraduate work at Columbia University and Bennington College.

Erv Comer
Director of Information Assurance
Enterprise Mobile Computing, Motorola Solutions

Erv Comer has been with Motorola for 30 years. Throughout his career, he has focused on security design principals and techniques. Comer has held positions in engineering, marketing and strategy while maintaining a focus on security. He developed and administered Motorola's Information Assurance policies and disciplines, which define how security principals are embodied in Motorola's products and services. Comer holds B.S. degrees in business administration and management, electrical engineering and an M.S. in computer science. He is versed in COMSEC, COMPUSEC, and TRANSEC for multiple types of technologies and holds multiple patents in the security arena.

Gregory Conti, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Director, Army Cyber Center
U.S. Military Academy, West Point

Greg Conti is responsible for the U.S. Military Academy's cybersecurity education and research programs. His computer science degrees include a B.S. from West Point, an M.S. from Johns Hopkins University, and a Ph.D. from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Conti is the author of Security Data Visualization (No Starch Press) and Googling Security (Addison-Wesley) as well as more than 60 articles and papers covering cyber warfare, online privacy, usable security, and security data visualization.

Conti has served as Officer in Charge of a forward deployed expeditionary cyber team, acted as a Senior Advisor in the U.S. Cyber Command Commander’s Action Group, and co-created U.S. Cyber Command’s flagship Joint Advanced Cyber Warfare Course (JACWC). He has spoken at numerous security conferences, including Black Hat, DEF CON, HOPE, ShmooCon, RSA, and the NATO Conference on Cyber Conflict.

Chris Drake
Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President
iconectiv

At iconectiv, Chris Drake is responsible for the business and technical organizations handling global number portability, addressing databases, device security, and mobile content.

Drake began his career at Bell Northern Research and has more than 25 years in the telecommunications industry. Prior to iconectiv, he held executive positions at Aricent Group, Neustar, Sonus Networks, Telcordia Technologies and Advanced Switching Communications.

Drake serves as an advisor to a number of technology startups and the Canadian Consulate Tech Accelerator @ NYC. He is also on the Industrial Advisory Board for the Security and Software Engineering Research Center (S2ERC IAB) through Georgetown University and the National Science Foundation. Chris holds a B.Sc. in computer science from the University of Ottawa.

Raj Goel (B.S. ’94)
Chief Technology Officer, Co-Founder
Brainlink International, Inc.

Author, entrepreneur, IT expert, and public speaker, Raj Goel is globally known as the go-to man in cybersecurity and privacy law. He is committed to educating individuals and organizations about online safety and how to protect their most important assets: “people and data. His expert advice helps individuals, companies, and conglomerates navigate their way through the world’s ever-changing technology and increasingly complex IT compliance laws. He often appears in the media and at conferences worldwide to educate the public on cybersecurity and digital privacy, a subject he is passionate about.

When you need the right approach to complying with SEC Cybersecurity, HIPAA/HITECH, PCI-DSS, or simply protecting your assets, Raj Goel, as any of his loyal clients will tell you, is the man to call upon. Raj’s credentials are impeccable. A 25-year veteran of the IT industry and an expert in online security, Raj has personally consulted with organizations ranging from Fortune 100 corporations to small family companies to governments worldwide. He is fueled by his passion for enhancing civil rights in cyberspace, and his love of helping people keep themselves, their families, and their companies safe online. He is available as a consultant and a public speaker and often sought after by major media outlets and companies. 

Royal I. Hansen
Managing Director, Technology Risk
Goldman Sachs & Co.

Royal Hansen is the head of the Goldman Sachs Global Advisory in Technology Risk, including Application Risk, Business Information Risk, and Business Continuity Planning. He is a member of the Global Business Resilience Committee, Technology Division Risk Operating Committee, and the Technology Division Operating Committee. Hansen first joined Goldman Sachs in 2006 as a vice president and rejoined the firm as a managing director in 2011. Prior to rejoining the firm, Hansen managed applications security, enterprise IT risk, and disaster recovery at Fidelity and Morgan Stanley.

He began his career as a software developer for Sapient before building a cybersecurity practice in the financial services industry at @stake, which was acquired by Symantec. Hansen earned a B.A. in computer science from Yale University. He was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship in information sciences and Arabic language study, which he completed at the United Arab Emirates University.

Larry Karantzios
Senior Pre-Sales Systems Engineer, Financial Services
FORTINET – High Performance Network Security

Larry Karantzios is a senior pre-sales systems engineer at FORTINET, designing network/security datacenter and internet access solutions for the banking and financial services sector. Karantzios has 30 years of engineering experience working on defense data communication systems and securing networks for major Wall Street firms.

Prior to changing careers to pre-sales engineering, Karantzios was vice president at Credit Suisse. He was responsible for securing the bank’s global Internet access as well as the design and security of all global DMZ zones. Prior to accepting a career in IT systems network/security for Wall Street financial firms, Karantzios worked at Northrop Grumman Aerospace in the systems engineering group, integrating encrypted digital voice/data communications systems on the Navy E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft. Karantzios received an M.S. degree in organizational behavior and a B.S. degree in electrical engineering from NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering.

David Konetski
Dell Fellow, Executive Director
Client Solutions Office of the CTO, Dell

In his role at Dell, David Konetski is responsible for security and systems management technology solutions strategy and commercial Android technology strategy, and he provides an interconnection point across Dell business units enabling pan-Dell end-to-end solutions. In addition as a Dell Fellow, Konetski provides innovation leadership to Dell’s client engineering community.

Konetski joined Dell in 1996 as a senior engineering manager in the consumer engineering organization, leading development of audio and video solutions across desktop and laptop PC platforms. In 2001, Konetski joined the Dell Office of the CTO, and over the next 10 years developed technology strategies and product portfolios for a wide range of client technologies, including security, systems management, white spaces communications, optical device applications, and audio/video ecosystems. He also served for six years on the Blu-Ray Disc Association Board of Directors and was Chairman of the Blu-Ray Content Protection Group and Audio Technical Task Force.

He holds 14 issued patents for Dell and is active in IP generation across the company. Prior to Dell, Konetski managed several engineering and marketing organizations in the fields of multimedia silicon, multimedia computers, pari-mutuel wagering systems, and gaming entertainment.

Christopher J. Leach
Chief Security Technologist
Hewlett Packard

Christopher Leach’s career spans experiences in risk analysis, operations, strategy, and financial controls. He serves as a chief technologist in the CTO’s office of Hewlett Packard, where he applies his expertise on work for clients and business partners.

Leach previously served as director of security services for CompuCom, a Dallas-based outsourcing company. He oversaw 24X7 operations of client networks and infrastructure, managed a team recognized as leaders in their field, and operated multiple honey pots and security infrastructures. Prior to CompuCom, he was chief information security officer for Affiliated Computer Services, an outsourcing company acquired by Xerox.

A recognized leader and sought-after professional, Leach has strong relationships with security professionals, providers, and vendors. He views security as a partner with business, and understands that risk can be controlled but never fully eliminated.

Derek Manky
Global Security Strategist
Fortinet

Derek Manky formulates security strategy based on years of threat and industry knowledge, with a goal of making a positive impact on the global war on cyber crime. He has presented research and strategy at many security conferences around the world, including meetings with leading political figures and key stakeholders who help define the future of cybersecurity. He works globally within the security industry and Computer Emergency Response (CERT) to connect the dots, providing mitigation advice and threat forecasts based on correlated data and personal knowledge. This strategy can be integrated into new, advanced technology to fight cyber attacks.

Recognized as a thought leader in the industry, Manky designed a vulnerability disclosure framework that has been reliably used for years to responsibly fix security issues before criminals discover and attack them.Manky sits on a computing science advisory committee and meets with universities to provide security industry input that he hopes will help shape the bright young minds of tomorrow. He continues to dedicate his career to security, research, and education.

Ronald Mraz, Ph.D.
President and CTO
Owl Computing Technologies

Ronald Mraz, Ph.D., directs advanced development of secure data transfer systems. With more than 20 years of private sector experience in a variety of technical positions including major research facilities at Westinghouse and IBM, he began his career developing microprocessor controls for switching power converter systems with Westinghouse Research. Mraz then participated in the development of several high-performance vector and supercomputing systems for IBM Server and Research Divisions. Additionally, he developed metrics for analyzing communication hardware in high-performance networks for super computer and real-time applications such as streaming video transmission.

Mraz received his doctorate in electrical and computer engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in 1992. He holds a master’s of science degree in electrical engineering from Syracuse University and a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from Drexel University. He is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), a member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), and a member of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA). He holds eight patents and has published more than 12 articles in the field of computer engineering.

Michael Papay, Ph.D.
Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer
Northrop Grumman

As vice president and chief information security officer (CISO) for Northrop Grumman, Michael Papay is responsible for delivering the company’s internal information security program. In this role, he is also responsible for strategy and vision for the company’s global computer and network information security systems; defining companywide policies for information security; and enhancing the security of Northrop Grumman’s products, services and infrastructures.

He is a nationally recognized expert in the modeling and simulation (M&S) field and has written numerous papers, managed large programs, developed coursework, and contributes to the congressional M&S caucus. Dr. Papay served on the 2012 Homeland Security Advisory Council’s (HSAC) Task Force on Cyber Skills, and he currently serves on cyber and engineering advisory boards for several universities.

Dr. Papay has a bachelor’s degree and a doctorate in aerospace engineering from Virginia Tech.

Parag Pruthi, Ph.D.
Founder, Chairman and CEO
Niksun

Parag Pruthi, Ph.D., brings over 25 years of expertise in the network security, wireless, and applications analysis industry. Recognized as one of the foremost experts in advanced cybersecurity technologies, Pruthi advises on cyber defense strategies at the highest levels of governments and enterprises, both nationally and globally.

Widely accepted as one of the leading innovators in the field of cybersecurity, in 2001 he introduced NetDetector, the only device in the world capable of multi-gigabits per second line rate recording and simultaneous analysis, reconstruction and replay in order to discover the source of security incidents, and identification of potential information leakage. This ground-breaking invention led to the creation and growth of the field of network forensics.

Pruthi holds a bachelor´s degree in electrical engineering, a master’s in computer science from Stevens Institute of Technology, and a doctorate in telecommunications from The Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden. Pruthi is also a member of the Steering Board for the Journal of Cyber Security & Mobility. He is a frequent speaker on cybersecurity issues, including keynotes to delegates from across 28 NATO nations, agencies, and strategic commands at the NATO Information Assurance Symposium 2010-2013.

Jim Reno
Chief Architect for Security
CA Technologies

Jim Reno is a distinguished engineer and chief architect for security at CA Technologies. He joined the company when it acquired Arcot Systems, where he led the development of strong authentication and risk management systems. He has more than 30 years of experience in software development, working on operating systems, databases, networking, systems management, and security.

Reno is one of the inventors of the 3-D Secure protocol used in the Verified by Visa and MasterCard SecureCode programs. He holds multiple patents in the areas of credit card verification and authentication. He guides the overall architecture of CA’s security products and security aspects of the company’s full portfolio.

Gustavo de los Reyes, Ph.D.
Director of Technology Security
AT&T

Gus is an Executive Director of Technology Security in AT&T. Gus leads the AT&T Security Research Center under the AT&T Chief Security Officer – Ed Amoroso. He has been working on security since 1998 starting with AT&T WorldNet security – AT&T’s first consumer Internet service. Gus has had responsibility for defining the security architecture and security requirements for key AT&T IP Services such as AT&T Business and Consumer VoIP Services.

Gus began working at AT&T Bell Labs (later AT&T Labs) in 1988 doing design and development of automatic photonic manufacturing systems.  He has also contributed to AT&T in the areas of robust design of wireless devices and systems, and service delivery. Before joining AT&T, Gus designed digital control systems for General Electric Aircraft Engines. Gus has a PhD in Electrical Engineering from Columbia University.  He has a BSME and MSE from MIT.

Steven S. Rubin (B.S. ’94), J.D.
Partner and Co-Chair, Cybersecurity Practice Group
Moritt Hock & Hamroff LLP

Steven S. Rubin chairs Moritt Hock & Hamroff LLP’s Patent Practice Group and co-chairs the firm's Cybersecurity Practice Group. He concentrates his practice on all phases of patent-related and cybersecurity-related matters, both domestically and internationally. As a recognized leader in his field, Rubin speaks and publishes extensively on various issues and topics pertaining to patent and cybersecurity law.

He has been quoted in IP Law & Business, Forbes Magazine, Information Week, macnewsworld.com, ecommercetimes.com, TechNewsWorld, Linuxinsider, EE Times, IPLaw360.com, Information Display Magazine, Newsday, and Long Island Business News. Rubin serves on the technical advisory board for New York Institute of Technology and is a member, senior grade, of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). He earned his J.D. from Hofstra University School of Law and his B.S, magna cum laude, in electrical engineering from NYIT.

Phyllis A. Schneck, Ph.D.
Deputy Under Secretary for Cybersecurity
National Protection and Programs Directorate, Department of Homeland Security

Phyllis Schneck, Ph.D. is the chief cybersecurity official for DHS and supports its mission of strengthening the security and resilience of the nation’s critical infrastructure. Dr. Schneck came to DHS from McAfee, Inc., where she was chief technology officer for the global public sector. She was responsible for the technical vision for products and service for public sector as well as global threat intelligence, industrial control system security, and telecom strategy.

Dr. Schneck has had a long and distinguished presence in the security and infrastructure protection community, serving as a Working Group Chair for the CSIS Commission on Cybersecurity for the 44th Presidency. She was the chairman of the Board of Directors for the National Cyber Forensics and Training Alliance, a partnership between corporations, government, and law enforcement for cyber analysis to combat international cybercrime. She was also vice chairman of the NIST Information Security and Privacy Advisory Board and was recently named the Loyola University Maryland David D. Lattanze Center 2012 Executive of the Year. Dr. Schneck served eight years as chairman of the National Board of Directors of the FBI’s InfraGard program and founding president of InfraGard Atlanta, growing the program from 2,000 members to more than 30,000 nationwide.

Dr. Schneck earned her Ph.D. in computer science from Georgia Tech and pioneered the field of information security and security-based high-performance computing there. She previously held a seat on the Advisory Board of the Johns Hopkins University Department of Computer Science, served on the steering committee for the Sam Nunn Information Security Forum as well as a term on the Georgia Tech Advisory Board, and cofounded the Georgia Tech Information Security Center and the Georgia Electronic Commerce Association's Working Group on Information Security.

John Stuppi
Senior Network Security Engineer, Security Intelligence Operations (SIO)
Cisco

At Cisco, John Stuppi, CCIE No. 11154, helps customers leverage their Cisco infrastructure to overcome emerging security challenges. In this role, he is responsible for communicating effective techniques using Cisco product capabilities to provide identification and mitigation solutions for customers facing current or expected security threats. Current projects include helping customers leverage DNS and NetFlow data to identify and subsequently mitigate network-based threats.

Additionally, Stuppi contributes to the Cisco SIO Portal through the publication of white papers, security blog posts, and cyber risk report articles. John is also a CISSP (#25525) and holds an Information Systems Security (INFOSEC) Professional Certification. In addition, John has a B.S. in electrical engineering from Lehigh University and an M.B.A. from Rutgers University. John lives in Ocean Township, N.J. (a.k.a. the “Jersey Shore”) with his wife, two kids, and his dog.

Howard Taylor
NSA USMA Fellow
Information Assurance Directorate

Howard Taylor teaches cyber operations, cyber linguistics, information assurance, computer science, and system acquisition at the U.S. Military Academy (USMA). He also participates in curriculum development and serves as a course director. Other responsibilities include: developing cyber educational competencies; working with the various USMA departments to address the means to incorporate these competencies throughout the academy; involved as the faculty Advisor with USMA faculty and seniors that work NSA-sponsored/funded projects that are of interest to NSA and the intel community, including several that specifically deal with IA and CRYPTOLOGIC issues. Projects include: identification of insider threat, vulnerabilities in Smart meter wireless communications, sensor enhancement, IA issues related to satellite launch and operations, power grid vulnerabilities, cell phone security, and sharing unclassified but sensitive information with various NGO and coalition partners.

Previously, Taylor served as the first NSA LNO to AFRICOM and chief of staff for NCEUR (NSA Senior Representative to Europe) and worked on key technical and interoperability issues. As director of the NCS/ADET Technology Implementation Office, he directed the efforts to exploit technology through the use and development of virtual and collaborative environments for training. He also led the evolution to virtual training equipment, environments, and the delivery of platform-based training in a virtual distributed fashion. Prior to that, Taylor worked as first data base administrator for the NSA.

Felix Thomas (B.S. ’79)
Founder, CEO, and President
Network Security System Plus, Inc.

Felix A. Thomas is a true IT pioneer and an American success story. He earned his bachelor of science in computers from New York Institute of Technology in 1979 and worked on his master’s degree at Golden Gate University in Mountain View, Calif. He has been a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) since 2001. He is a Certified HIPAA Security Professional (CHSP), Certified Authorization Professional (CAP), and Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC).

With more than 42 years of an extensive IT background starting in 1972 with IT industry leaders such as Honeywell, IBM, and Raytheon Data Systems, Thomas started as a systems engineer and quickly developed extensive experience in virtually every aspect of the IT industry, including software development, information system management, and cybersecurity. He spent more than seven years in New York City and 10 years of his IT career in Silicon Valley, where he worked on the Columbia Space Shuttle Simulator Program among many other high-tech projects in Silicon Valley at that time.

Thomas started NSSPlus in 2001 with one employee and successfully grew the company to more than 140 employees over the past 13 years.

A. Jonathan Trafimow, J.D.
Partner and Co-Chair, Cybersecurity Practice Group
Moritt Hock & Hamroff LLP

At Moritt Hock & Hamroff LLP, Jonathan Trafimow chairs the firm's Employment Law Practice Group and co-chairs the firm's Cybersecurity Practice Group. He represents employers in all areas of workplace discrimination, retaliation, harassment and civil rights claims, and class actions. He also provides advice and counsel to employers regarding employment agreements, policies, and other documents that can reduce companies' exposure to cybersecurity liability.

Trafimow is an experienced pro bono mediator for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. As a leader in his field, he frequently writes and lectures on employment law and cybersecurity law topics in venues throughout the United States. Trafimow was named as one of New York's Super Lawyers for 2013 and is AV Preeminent-rated by Martindale Hubbell. He earned his J.D. from New York University School of Law.

Marisa S. Viveros
Vice President, Cyber Security Innovation
IBM

Marisa Viveros leads IBM's global Cyber Security Innovation initiative. She is responsible for creating academic and research programs that foster stronger collaborations among academic institutions, government organizations, and IBM toward building cyber and information security talent to address the skills shortage. Viveros began her career at IBM as a member of the Thomas J Watson Research Center. While at IBM Research, she held technical and management positions in the areas of pervasive computing, data management, and data mining. Upon joining IBM Global Services, she led strategy and innovation for the Wireless Emerging Business Opportunity group and led the creation of the Unified Communications and Collaboration Service business unit. Most recently, she led IBM Security Services, an organization responsible for creating and delivering IT and physical security services for business and government organizations that are in need of IT Risk Management and Compliance.

Viveros received an IBM Outstanding Innovation Award for her pioneer work in mobile commerce and an Outstanding Technical Achievement Award for her work in parallel systems. She has coauthored papers and patents, and has participated in conferences as a program committee member, keynote speaker, session chairman, and panelist. Viveros holds an M.S. degree in computer science from California State University and a B.S. degree in electrical engineering from Universidad de Concepción, Chile. She is a member of the Association for Computing Machinery and ACM SIGSAC.

Debbie Waung
Director, Identity Intelligence Division
Novetta Solutions

At Novetta, Debbie Waung directs the identity intelligence division, specializing in providing innovative, mission-critical technology products and solutions in identity management, large-scale data analytics and entity resolution, cybersecurity, cloud computing, and custom solutions development to the intelligence community, Department of Defense, and other organizations.

Having led international IBG business development and IBG project teams providing biometric and identity management services to public and private sector clients, Waung is currently a portfolio and team lead supporting Department of Defense and international government contracts in the areas of identity management and cyber analytic systems.